Seattle Mariners Fire Manager Don Wakamatsu

[Auggie]

Associated Press / 8-9-2010

SEATTLE -- The last-place Seattle Mariners fired manager Don Wakamatsu on Monday, more than halfway through a season that began with a boosted roster and hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

The Mariners started the day at 42-70, the second-worst record in the American League.

Daren Brown, the manager of Triple-A Tacoma for the last three-plus seasons, took over on an interim basis hours before a game against Oakland.

Seattle also fired bench coach Ty Van Burkleo and pitching coach Rick Adair. The team also released performance coach Steve Hecht.

MORE: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5449647

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Wow. Many, including the regulars here, expected Seattle to take the division this year.

[Upton]

1. Ahem..

I'm a regular here...and I sure don't remember picking Seattle to win the AL West.

Wak wasn't the problem.....GM Jack Zduriencik is. Seattle finished 28th in runs scored in 2009, now this year they sit dead last. As Jack Z did virtually nothing to address the problem during the off season. Opting instead to make a splash by trading for a big name rent a pitcher.

Attention Jack Z: you can't win if you don't score runs..I don't care how good your staff is.

[Auggie]

2. Okay,

make that some regulars picked them.

I was one.

[Mojambo]

8. "Opting instead to make a splash by trading for a big name rent a pitcher."

Which he then promptly exchanged for one of the best 1B hitting prospects in all of baseball.

Z isn't, and wasn't the primary problem with the organization. He has done a phenomenal job repairing a brutalized farm system and has made (mostly) shrewd trades that have netted him undervalued contributors like Franklin Gutierrez, Jason Vargas and David Aardsma. He did strike out a bit this last off-season, but he the goal this season (despite the media's generated spin) was NOT to go for it all. The Cliff Lee deal wasn't the traditional "go all in move" it was more of a buy a (frankly mysteriously) undervalued asset in Lee with the idea of either competing OR shipping him back out again for prospects, which he did and did very well.

Zduriencik might not have the shine he had after last season, but he is far, far, far from the primary problem in Seattle's front office.

This season really went cock-eyed because the suits higher up forced Z to bring back a washed up Griffey and then forced a second year manager to basically forcibly retire him mid-season. Griffey then (predictably) threw a stink and totally poisoned that clubhouse. Wak never recovered.

Does Z deserve some of the blame for constructing a poor offense? Sure, but the reason this thing went nuclear had nothing to do with how badly they were constructed and everything to do with the colossal mistake to bring Griffey back. I'm almost certain that wasn't Zduriencik's call, but team president (and long-time Griffey supporter) Chuck Armstrong's.

Perhaps if Griffey hadn't been forced on Zduriencik by the suits he might have had the extra roster spot to carry another bat.

So while I'd agree that the front office is a total clusterfuck, Zduriencik is part of the silver lining, not the cloud.

[pscot]

9. This has been going on

ever since Piniella left. The owners don't want to pay the price.

[Upton]

11. "Zduriencik might not have the shine he had after last season"

Ya think?

Bringing back Griffey=FAIL

Figgins=FAIL

Bradley=FAIL

Kotchman=FAIL

Have I left anybody out?

Oh yeah..Cliff Lee the rent a pitcher. That "one of the best 1B hitting prospects in all of baseball" in Justin Smoak that they got for Lee was hitting .159 for the Mariners in 63 AB when he was sent down. That's after a scorching .209 in 235 AB with the Rangers.

Oh yeah, trading Brandon Morrow, he of the 8 2/3 no hits and 17 strikeouts, for nothing.

Has anything Jack Z did during this past off season been even remotely successful?

[El Supremo]

3. I wonder how Ichiro is taking this.

[Upton]

4. It's too bad about Ichiro..

he's a great player to watch, an easy Hall of Famer..but outside of 2001, the Mariners have not surrounded him with the kind of players that can take him to the playoffs.

I'm surprised he's opted to stay in Seattle so long. To his credit, Ichiro has never turned his back on the Puget Sound, something you can't say about Grffey.

[madinmaryland]

5. Bad example, upton. Griffey and his father were lifelong Reds.

Ichiro does not have a family line involved with the same MLB team. Just a bad example, my friend.

[travelingtypist]

6. Yeah, I was one of the regulars who was believing the Jack Z hype.

I found this article consoling anyway. I was enjoying watching the Tigers until they fell flat, so the Phillies are my only hope now, even without the ageless wonder Jamie Moyer.

Firing manager Don Wakamatsu is the wrong move for Marinersn by Jerry Brewer
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/20125...

[MrCoffee]

7. The Seattle Times front page headline this morning:

"Because You Can't Fire the Whole Stinkin' Team"

I wish they had it up on the website, but they don't.

[Forkboy]

10. LOL...that's awesome.

Unless you're a Mariners fan, I suppose.....